It is hard not to like potatoes. They are an extremely versatile food and they taste great when salted and crunchy. Potato crisps or french fries, as many people call them, are one of the favorite snacks of the States, the UK, and Canada. But though we eat them boiled, baked, or fried, are potatoes good for your health or something that we can should banish from our menus? White potatoes have such a high starch content, many people consider them to be unhealthy. However, is the starch in the potato bad for our health?
Solanum tuberosum, its scientific name, is the white potato which belongs to the nightshade category of plants. Though they come from the South American Andes, potatoes are now grown in different colors and varieties across 160 countries. Even though we cut up the potato, fry it usually, and cover it with ketchup or malt vinegar if you’re in the UK, the skin of the potato is actually quite filled with needed nutrients. You can use potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are one of the most versatile foods around.
Here are a few nutritional facts about potatoes:
One medium russet potato
168 calories
0 fat grams
5 grams protein
37 grams carbs
4 grams fiber
So as you can see the potato is a rather healthy food besides the high grams of carbohydrates, they are truly healthy to eat. As with all things, one should eat potatoes in moderation. Another way to balance out the high carbs is to eat a balanced meal, such as, making certain that vegetables are the main part of the dish, have your baked potato, and if you eat meat or fish, your portion should be the size of a deck of cards.
Baking, boiling for a potato salad, or broiling in olive oil instead of frying, makes the potato a whole lot healthier than frying them in a too much grease. A baked potato is a way to have a potato and dinner rolled into one. You can stuff the baked potato with broccoli and cauliflower with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. If you are a fish eater, tuna chopped into a salad, on top is another healthy choice. There are many ways to eat potatoes and other high carb foods without the worry of being unhealthy. Do more baking than frying and makes vegetables the main portion of your plate.
Source: Potatoes: Healthy or Unhealthy
Photo: Authority Nutrtition